Territory



Nrrsn STATES PATENT OFFI E.

ALICE E. SCOTT, OF HARDESTY, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.

AUTOMATIC FOLDING TRUNK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 504,248, dated August 29, 1893.

Application filed August 15, 1892.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALICE E. SCOTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hardesty, in the county of Beaver and Territory of Oklahoma, have invented anew and useful kind of Traveling Trunk, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, showing the parts thereof.

The object of this invention is to provide a trunk which will be strong and durable and so constructed that the base portion can be folded to provide a trunk octagonal in cross section so that it can be readily handled or moved from place to place by rolling the same or extended to enlarge the capacity of the trunk and provide a larger foundation for the same when in use.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a trunk constructed in accordance with my invention, showing the lower longitudinal edges extended. Fig. 2 is also a perspective view, showing the trunk arranged for transportation. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view, taken through the line Jr-'4: of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view.

A A designate the end pieces of the trunk, to which are attached handles a, and to these end pieces are rigidly attached the bottom piece I) and side pieces a c. To one of the side pieces a the cover B is hinged in the usual manner, said cover being preferably made up of three pieces attached to end pieces and arranged as shown. The top is, held in an elevated position by means of curved rods 0 O which pass through plates attached to the end pieces of the body portion of the trunk when the top is lowered.

The side edges of the bottom piece b of the trunk have hinged thereto strips E to which are secured end pieces F F which bear against the end pieces of the body portion of the trunk and move in recesses f and f therein, the recesses on the outside being covered by end-plates as shown. The strips EE when swung on their hinges, e, to extend on a line with the bottom board I) of the trunk form a continuation of said bottom board, and when swung up at an angle with said bottom board assist in making the trunk oc- Serial No. 443,183. (No model.)

tagonal in cross-section. The end pieces of the trunk are further recessed to receive helical springs g g which are attached to said end pieces and to strips E hinged to the outer edges of the strips E, the tendency of the springs being to draw the strips E toward the edges of the end pieces F F, and to the edges of the strips E are hinged strips E which with the strips E form a continuation of the sides of the trunk when the parts are arranged as shown in Fig. 1, and when the strips E and E are swung upon their hinges to change the configuration of the trunk to the octagonal shape shown in Fig. 2 the strip E will be folded into the trunk so that the ends thereof will lie in the recesses it formed in the end pieces A. The strip E is held in its two positions by a pin 4 which passes through a perforation c" in one of the end pieces thereof and through registering perforations i in the end pieces of the trunk, said pins being inserted from the inside of the trunk. The strips E where they are hinged to the bottom board I) have beveled edges, as shown in Fig. 3, and the abutting edges of the strips E and E are also beveled. It will be noted that when the parts are folded they will be thoroughly braced, and though the parts when extended are not braced to the same extent as when folded the capacity of the bottom or body portion of the trunk is increased.

The upper part of the trunk is provided with a suitable tray.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A trunk having end and side pieces and a bottom board, the lower corners of the end pieces being cut away as shown, of intermediate strips hinged to the bottom board and to each other, one of the strips being in sliding engagement with the end pieces so that it can be folded against the cut away corners or extended on a line with the bottom board, and means for holding the strips, substantially as shown, and for the'purpose set forth.

2. In a trunk having end pieces the lower corners of which are cut away as shown, a bottom board and side pieces attached to said end pieces, together with sections hinged to the bottom board and made up of a plurality of strips which are adapted to be arranged on a line with the cut away corners or .extended to form continuations of the side pieces and bottom board, and means for holding the strips, substantially as shown.

3. A trunk having a body portion the lower corners of the end pieces of which are cut away as shown, strips E hinged to the bottom board and provided with end pieces F F which are rigidly attached thereto and slide upon the end pieces of the trunk, and strips E and E hinged to each other and to the strips E, substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

4. A trunk having end pieces the lower corners of which are cut away as shown, a bottom board I) and side pieces 0 c secured to the end pieces, strips E hinged to the bottom board and having end pieces F F, strips E and E hinged to each other and to the strips E, the strips E being connected to the end pieces of the trunk by springs, and pins which are inserted in perforations in the end pieces F F and end piecesof the trunk substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

ALICE E. SCOTT.

WVitnesses:

WILLIAM N. DONALDSON, L. LEE OULTER. 

